Chatham County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)

Sec. 16-1304 sets the conditions a property must meet before Building Safety and Regulatory Services (BSRS) will license it as a short-term rental, defined in Sec. 16-1302 as any use of real property rented for 30 days or less. Paragraph (a) requires a $350 fee with the initial application; paragraph (b) requires all ad valorem taxes due on the property to be paid in full. The same section requires every rental unit to be identified, requires the applicant to hold an ownership interest since renters cannot hold the license, routes the application through a Chatham County Police Department background check, and requires proof of a current contract with a marketplace innkeeper service, or copies of returns showing the hotel/motel tax is being remitted directly to Chatham County Finance under the county's Article IV Hotel/Motel Tax.

It also requires homeowner's or structural coverage of at least the structure's value or $300,000, and on-site fire subscription service, a fire extinguisher, and weekly trash pickup. Once granted, the license runs only until the next June 30 and license fees are never prorated under Sec. 16-1304(2). Sec. 16-1305 requires an annual renewal, due by July 1, for another $350 fee, with the same tax, insurance and safety affirmations repeated. Sec. 16-1306 gives the county the right to audit an operator's financial records tied to compliance with these ordinances at any time.